Central students broke Central’s personal record at the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) for the most students qualified for District honors, with a total of 64 students.
Saturday, Nov. 8, Salina Central’s choir, band, jazz band, and orchestra students attended the KMEA solo auditions in Junction City alongside students from other 5A schools across the state.
The choir students contain all members of Free Spirit and a mix of Choraliers and Advanced Women. A total of 33 choir students were selected for the District Honor Choir.
The band had 13 students overall who made it into the District Honor Band. The jazz band had 12 students overall. The orchestra, with six students, made it into the District Honor Orchestra.
District jazz band students are 67 percent from Central, and four of the alternates were also students from Central. Defeating the rest of the 5A schools, with those 12 students out of 18 students from other schools.
The choir students contain all members of Free Spirit and a mix of Choraliers and Advanced Women. A total of 33 choir students were selected for the District Honor Choir.
Senior Elizabeth Martinez received the District Honor Choir award in her very first year of auditioning at KMEA. Martinez said that during the time she waited to audition, since she was in the last category, she practiced her song in increments.
“Once I had the song down, I still practiced, but not as intensely as I would in auditions,” Martinez said. “Closer to my time, I worked on my breathing and how high and low I should be going. I practiced once 30 minutes before, then two more times, five minutes before my audition.”
Senior Marcos Lira said there’s only so much you can do on the day of the auditions. Depending on your voice, you can only prepare so much before judges take a vote.
Becoming an Honor Choir recipient took Lira three years.
“Don’t expect to get in super soon,” Lira said. “Be your best in there; no one can hear you in that room when you audition, so you should be going all out. Somebody will make it, and I think it’s good to encourage them even if it’s not yourself.”
Junior KaiCee Brown said being around all different kinds of students from other schools brings a perspective to students.
“Not to toot our own horn, but we’re pretty good,” Brown said. “Like I said, we made KMEA, but each band is so unique and so different in the way that they run things and the way that they perform. When I went last year, I went to some of the jazz band performances, and I was just like, these people are literally phenomenal. Like, I don’t know how we’re on the same level as these people.”
It’s a great experience to be able to know that everyone around you is going through the same thing as you and can rely on others when you need help, Lira said.
“Being able to meet all sorts of people, whether it’s in school, being able to make friends, or maybe out of school, I met a couple of amazing people at state last year,” Lira said.
The competition is only part of the experience, junior Katharine Boller said.
“I hope they just get to experience the fun bonding that is getting to ride in a Suburban with all your friends for an hour,” Boller said. “It’s in all the talks that you get to have.”
Boller said that the audition process was nerve-racking for her because she would overthink and get to a point where her whole body would start shaking – until she remembered to let herself be in the moment and have fun with her peers.
“The only person that’s going to know if you do bad is that judge in there, and you’re never going to meet them again, and they’re never going to know who you were,” Boller said. “You’re just the number on their list. So it doesn’t matter. Just have fun.”
